"People often take snaps of New Year's Eve revellers and then think nothing more of them. What we are after is images of people in and around Beach, Hinemoa and Ocean View Roads, the surf club, camping ground and Esplanade between 12.30am and 1.30am," Insp McDonald said.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted in Auckland on Friday. A forensic examination of the scene is continuing and police officers have been searching for the weapon and speaking to people in the area.

The investigation was being made more challenging by the transient nature of the population, which swells from 3000 to about 16,000 during the holiday period.

6:13AM
ONE lucky man has managed to escape the flaming wreckage of a helicopter that claimed the life of his co-pilot after it crashed during a military air show. The incredible incident was caught on video.

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